Nuance Supports International RSI Day by Encouraging Employers

In recognition of todayís International Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) day, Nuance Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUAN), formerly ScanSoft, Inc., is calling for employers to provide their desk-based employees with Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software as an alternative to the keyboard and mouse. Furthermore, Nuance believes the issue of Repetitive Strain Injury RSI is so important, it is encouraging employers and employees to visit the Nuance website at http://www.nuance.co.uk/news/20050611_tips.asp to learn what practical measures can be taken to reduce the chance of suffering an RSI-related injury at the desktop.

International RSI Day is held on the last day of February each year. On the day, unions and campaigners across the world highlight the work hazards that cause strain injuries and undertake workplace activities to show how to take preventative actions against injury risks. RSI covers a wide range of injuries to muscles, tendons and nerves, usually affecting hands, wrists, elbows or shoulders and at its most extreme can cause permanent disability and even paralysis if not stopped at an early stage. This condition is particularly prevalent among workers who regularly use a keyboard or mouse.

With one in 50 of all workers in the UK reporting an RSI condition1 ñ and 5.4million working days a year lost through sick leave due to this condition2 ñ Nuance is supporting the Trades Union Congressí (TUC) call for employers to offer alternative ways of working. The TUC states that employers should offer workers the option to use speech recognition software as an alternative to typing.

Nuanceís award-winning Dragon NaturallySpeaking software offers an effective and highly efficient alternative to the keyboard and mouse. It enables office workers to create letters, spreadsheets and emails, browse the Web and work with virtually any Windows-based program, using everyday speech.
The software turns speech into text at up to 160 words-per-minute, and is the ideal solution for corporations looking to keep injured and rehabbing employees highly productive. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is a simple to install and easy-to-use software package that makes advanced speech recognition and dictation more accessible and attainable for use in businesses, enterprises and homes around the world, and it could play a critical role in reducing the growing number of desktop-related RSI injuries.

In 2003, the TUC estimated that six people leave their jobs every day due to an RSI-related condition. A survey published last year of more than 4,500 union safety representatives, revealed that reported RSI had increased by three per cent over the past two years. In fact, a report by the Institute of Directors titled ìHealth and Wellbeing in the Workplaceî states ìStress and Musculoskeletal Disorders ñ which includes RSI ñ are the two most common self-reported causes of worker ill-health and absenteeismî.

The TUC acknowledges that RSI is a major problem at work, but states that it is easily avoidable. Advice on the TUC website reads: ìIf you do a lot of typing then make sure your employer offers you touch-typing training. Two finger typists are far more likely to get pains in the hand wrist and forearms. An alternative is asking for a speech recognition software package.î

Commenting on International RSI Day is Professor Peter Buckle, Head of Ergonomics at the Robens Institute at the University of Surrey. He said: ìRSI is particularly prevalent among workers who regularly use a keyboard or mouse for intensive and long periods. Speech recognition software affords the worker an alternative way of inputting to the computer. When used appropriately this should, in theory, help reduce the risk of developing these conditions and all the problems that go with them for both the employee and the employer. It is important that events such as RSI International Day draw attention to this issue.î

Simon Howard, Nuance Dragon Professional & Healthcare Solutions, said: Companies should offer employees the option of speech recognition software on their PCs to negate the chance of them eventually suffering from an RSI related injury, and from being sued by an employee that has developed RSI as a result of their working environment. This is especially important when we consider that older workers are making up the majority of the workforce, so employers should be concerned about the impact RSI could have on these groups.

Howard added: ìPreventing RSI requires an acknowledgement from employers that it is not the workersí responsibility to provide a healthy office environment. It is down to management to ensure that employees are not contorting and stressing their bodies and brains to cope with poorly designed equipment or systems of work.î

A typical RSI sufferer to embrace the benefits offered by speech recognition technology, is Rosalind Lawless. With the onset of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Rosalind was no longer able to use a keyboard and as a result lost her job within Supplies Management. With the launch of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Rosalind realised the power of this advanced software and employed it to complete a Teacher’s Certificate, NVQ Assessors Awards and a Start Your Own Business Course. In June 2000, Rosalind started a new business venture - 1st Voice Solutions. Drawing from her own experiences, she designed and marketed a specialist training course to teach others with hand, arm and back difficulties - frequently RSI - to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking.